Kota Kinabalu: Shop operators registered as agents of Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) are not only helping to promote the saving habit among the community but also reaping an income from the bank.

According to BSN's Community Banking Department Vice President Zamri Omar, some agents experienced an increase of business by 20 to 30 per cent because of their BSN services.

"Customers can be seen queuing up at their shops to perform BSN transactions and after these buy items from the shops, thereby increasing their business," he said during a briefing for BSN agents, here, Saturday.

Many of the agents comprised sundry and grocery shop owners who are offering BSN services such as deposits, cash withdrawals, payment of bills, eSSP purchase, cashless payment and Maxis and Celcom prepaid top-ups.

"Now BSN is on the verge of introducing another service - 'wakaf' payment - to the agents," he told the briefing attended by over 100 BSN agents.

According to him, similar briefing will be held in Keningau, Sandakan and Tawau.

To date, Sabah has about 483 BSN agents located in various places like Bum-Bum Island in Semporna, Banggi Island in Kudat and in the interiors like Tongod and Kalabakan.

"So far, they have recorded over a million transactions worth RM117 million since the agent service was introduced in Sabah two years ago," said Zamri.

The BSN agent service, which was launched in 2012, has now a total of 5,294 agents nationwide and has conducted over 21 million transactions worth more than RM1.8 billion.

The BSN service was recently awarded by the State with the Information Technology and Communications Award in conjunction with the State Government's Innovation Day, on May 29.